Broadband technologies jumpstart rural economies

As a someone who cares about broadband issues in California, we thought you would be interested in this important news: More Californians are getting connected to the Internet at home using devices that will make a real difference in improving their access to educational, career and healthcare opportunities.

The 2019 Statewide Survey on Broadband Adoption, which CETF conducted in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, finds 88% of the California households have high-speed Internet access at home through either a computing device or a smartphone.

In the last two years, the proportion of Californians connecting to the Internet through a home computing device—defined as a desktop, laptop or tablet computer—has increased from 69% to 78%. This is a positive development given that households with only smartphone access are considered “underconnected” because they are at a disadvantage in optimizing the use of technology for certain functions, such as doing schoolwork, applying for a job, or taking online classes to expand workforce skills.